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Old 05-18-2009, 07:27 PM   #1
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1976 28' Argosy 28
Huntley , Illinois
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Help with leak from engine? '76 argosy 28ft


I have a leak in the front cab passenger side. I would like to know
(1)what it is?
(2) How much to fix?
(3)How to take it out?
I have a picture to show just in case. I also would like to know if I was to patch the wood on the floor on the sides and then place a clean thin hard layer of plywood over the old floor would it be okay?
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Old 05-19-2009, 10:27 AM   #2
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1974 20' Argosy 20
Richmond , Kentucky
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ardeleon View Post
I have a leak in the front cab passenger side. I would like to know
(1)what it is?
Several possibilities here. One it looks like your dash air conditioner is leaking water which to me would indicate the drain tube is plugged, probably from mud hornets. Another possibility would be the passenger window is leaking. And last it could be a leak from somewhere above that is making its way down to that area of the floor. One of the hardest things to find in an airstream is the source of the leak.

Recently on our 310 motorhome we had Soldermedic do a pressure test to help us find the leaks. What this entails is temporarily installing a suctin fan inside the motorhome that attaches to one of the roof vents. The suction fan is turned on and sucks air in through the roof vent which over pressurizes the interior so that air is forced out through any small holes, etc on the outer shell. You then spray soapy water on the exterior of the motorhome and look for bubbles. We found a bunch of places to seal by the time he was done. I would highly recommend you have this done on your motorhome before you go to much farther.

Quote:
(2) How much to fix?
Based on the pictures you posted I'm not so sure I would replace any of the wood unless its visibily deteriorated. The wood itself should not be all that expensive. Its more the time involved in replacing it.

Quote:
(3)How to take it out?
If you do decide to replace sections of flooring, keep in mind on the motorhomes there is a sheet of aluminum between the wood and the frame. This creates a seal for the wood floor from underneath. On trailers they have the lower aluminum skin that covers the tanks, etc whereas on the motorhomes Airstream laid a sheet of aluminum down on top of the truck chassis and then laid the wood deck on top of it. So if you cut the wood floor out you have to be very careful not to cut the aluminum skin underneath.

Basically you have to set your saw depth just right as you're cutting out the old wood.

Quote:
I have a picture to show just in case. I also would like to know if I was to patch the wood on the floor on the sides and then place a clean thin hard layer of plywood over the old floor would it be okay?
I wouldn't worry about adding a clean thin layer of plywood on top of your repaired floor. I would just go with whatever flooring (carpet, cork floor, etc) you plan on installing and call it good.

Hope this helps.

Brad
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Old 05-19-2009, 10:32 AM   #3
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In looking closer at your pictures it became obvious to me that you do have to replace/repair at least the section by the door. All that I mentioned before still applies but you're going to have to deal with getting the new wood under the wall. There are lots of posts in the forums about how to do this so do some searching and you'll find it.

As for the rest of the floor you might consider sealing with something like marine grade (spar varnish) varnish to protect the wood surface from moisture.

Brad
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Old 05-20-2009, 01:36 AM   #4
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1974 24' Argosy 24
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All good advice from Brad, we agree with him on the possible source of your leak, it might be a good idea to have your engine cooling system pressure tested as well to check out the heater matrix and hoses, these are often a cause of water leaks. It is an easy and cheap test and any competent mechanic should be able to do it in a few minutes (you can buy the pressure tester and do it yourself but they are quite expensive bits of kit)
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Old 05-20-2009, 07:21 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ardeleon View Post
I have a leak in the front cab passenger side. I would like to know
(1)what it is?
(
Looks like the heater core. You may be able to finish removing it by simply removing the heater hoses from it, and sliding it into the passenger compartment. There may be a single clamp or retaining bolt on the engine compartment side of the core that would have to be removed before the core will come out. If you don't care about heat, you could get a connector, remove the hoses from the core, install the connector between them, and bypass the heater.
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